Shade-roller appliance.



H. FORNELIUS.

SHADE ROLLER APPLIANGE.

APPLICATION HLBD AUG. 1o, 1911.

1,020,817. Patented Mar.19,1912.

ATTHNEYS D ing drawings,

HARVEY FORNE'LIUS, OF ATHENIA, NEW JERSEY.

SHADE-ROLLER APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Har. 19, 1912.

Application led August 10, 1911. Serial No. 643,333.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARVEY FouNumUs, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Athenia, in the countyof Passaic and State of New Jersey, have. invented a new and ImprovedShade-Roller Appliance, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The object of my invention is the provision of an improved brakingdevice adapted for use with a roller whereby the shade may be maintainedin any position desired throughout the length of the window.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved device of theclass described embodying the features heretofore pointed out which willconsist of the fewest number of parts, thereby enabling it to beproduced at a low cost.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyforming a part of thisspecification, in which similar' characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a frontview of a shade roller in position with my device in operative relat-ionthereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional view onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 4; Fig. 3 isa sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a sectional viewalong the line 4--4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thebracket to which my device is attached.

The roller 1 which is adapted to hold a shade 2 is provided adjacent itsends with suitable supports whereby it may be rotatably held inposition, one of these supports embodying a form well-known in the art.

The other support which is shown particularly in Figs. 4 and 5 embodiesa bracket 4 which is made up of a body member having openings 5 therein,portions of the body member adjacent the openings being bent out oftheir normal plane in order to form tongues 6. The bracket- 4 is adaptedto be positioned on a window casing 7 adjacent the top thereof by anysuitable means such as screws 8, as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3,the openings 5 together with the tongues 6 forming pockets adapted toreceive the over-turned ends 9 of a casing 10 which contains myimprovement.

As shown particularly in Fig. 4 one end of the roller 1 is provided witha suitable cavity 11 adapted to receive a spindle 12 which spindleextends beyond the end of the roller and into the aforesaid casing 10.

This casing is preferably divided into a plurality of compartments bymeans of a partition 13, one compartment being adapted to contain a flatspiral spring 14, one end of which is attached to the spindle, as at 15,the other end being secured to the casing in any suitable manner. Thespring is adapted to be wound up by turning the roller 1 in onedirection which is determined by pulling down the shade 2, the energypresent in the wound spring being used to return the roller to its firstposition with the shade wound thereon.

The second compartment of the casing 10 has an opening 1G formed in itslower side in order to permit a cord 17 to pass therethrough, the cordbeing provided with a suitable tassel 1S at its lower end, if sodesired. This compartment is provided with a leaf spring 1) which issecured at 20 to the side wall thereof in any suitable manner, the freeend of the spring being provided with any suitable means such as a hook21 to which the end of the aforesaid cord 17 is secured. One end ofanother cord 22 which is also contained within this second compart-mentis secured to the side wall thereof, the other end of this cord beingsecured to the afore-mentioned hook 21 at the free end of the spring 19,the intermediatel portion of the cord 22 being wrapped around thespindle 12 as at 23, shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4.

"he casing 1s preferably provided with a cover 24 in order to keep outdust and dirt from the interior thereof as well as to provide a finishedappearance to the device.

As previously mentioned the spring 14 is so positioned in the firstcompartment that drawing down on the shade 2 will turn the roller in onedirection whereby this spring is wound; during the act of drawing downthe shade the cord 17 is pulled slightly down in order to flex thespring 19 in the second compartment of the casing, thereby permittingthe spindle 12 at one end of the roller to freely turn within the loop23 of the second cord 22; the shade may be retained at any pointthroughout its travel by merely releasing the downward pull on the cord17, thereby permitting the spring 19 to move upwardly and bring the loop23 of the cord 22 into close engagement with the spindle 12. In order toquickly wind up the shade it is simply necessary to pull down on thecord 17 whereby the pressure of the loop on the spindle l2 is released,the energy present in the spring 14 then turning t-he roller and windingthe shade thereon.

Each casing 10 may be secured in proper position adjacent the window inany suit` able manner, the simplest means, however, being by the use ofthe bracket which I have previously described, it being understood,however, that the use of this particular form of bracket is notessential.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be noted that I have provided a shade roller having anew and improved means for holding it in any determined position wherebythe shade may be held at any desired point along the length of thewindow, the construction and arrangement affording a simpliiied devicefor this purpose.

Of course it is obvious that various changes as to size, shape, andform, as well as differentchoice of materials may be eX- ercised withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent l. In combination with a rolleil and a spring forwinding it up, a looped cord in engagement with the spindle of theroller, there being a spring in engagement with one end of the cord forholding it close to the spindle, and other means engaging the springwhereby movement of the spring will release the tension on the cord,thereby permitting the roller to turn.

2. In combination with a roller and a `spring for winding it, anotherspring having a cord secured thereto and engaging the spindle of theroller for holding it against rotation in any position, and a cordengaging the spring for moving it in order to permit the first cord tobe loosened thereon, whereby the roller may turn.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a casing having a spindle therein,the spindle being adapted for engagement with a shade roller, a springengaging the casing and also the spindle whereby the roller may be woundup, together with a cord within the casing and engaging the spindle forholding the spindle against turning.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a casing containing a spindlerotatably mounted therein, the spindle being adapted for connection witha shade roller, a spring within the casing and engaging the spindle andadapted to wind up the roller, a cord having a portion thereof wrappedaround the spindle in order to hold it against rotation in any position,resilient means maintaining the cord in such engagement, and other meansfor `moving the resilient means whereby the cord may be released and thespindle may turn.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARVEY FORNELIUS. Witnesses JOHN FoRNnLIUs, CHAs. F. H. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

